Hispanic Games Meet Preview - Loaded Fields In All Events

Boys Preview

   
Invite 400m

State of the Action:  This race should answer some questions.  Three out of four of the East Coast's finest over 400m have entered the race.  Only Izaiah Brown (Amsterdam), the reigning champ in the event at the Hispanic Games, who is also rumored to be nursing an injury, will not be in attendance.  The top end of the field holds three National Champions, all of which under the 47sec barrier.  Richard Rose (Boys and Girls) took home the title at the New Balance Indoor Nationals.  Josephus Lyles (TC Williams, VA) did the same at New Balance Outdoor Nationals.  Rai Benjamin (Mount Vernon) anchored his SMR on the 400m leg, to capture a New Balance Outdoor National title of his own.  All three will be competing for those early season bragging rights, for a matchup that very well might play out again in March.  Rose looks to be the most race ready, already hitting an All-Time performance with his US #1 600m marks.  Rai Benjamin has a US #1 for himself as well, grabbing the 300m mark that has maintained against strong follow up competition.  Josephus Lyles has taken a relaxed early season, but anyone with a PR of 46.23 cannot be taken lightly.

It would be easy to discount the rest of the field with top guns like those, but you would be foolish to do so. John Lewis (Cheltenham) holds a strong PR at 47.69.  Kermani Mighty (Clara Barton), one quarter of the nations leading 4x400m relay, holds a 48.57 personal best as well.  Luke Germanokos (Lynbrook) is the reigning New York State Champion over 600m, and looks to be Rose's biggest threat in the event at the state level.  And as always, never to be counted out are the PSAL mainstays of Christian Blades (Tilden) and Kiambu Gall (Paul Robeson).

This race will be fast.

Tracking Shot
Top Athletes - Overall
Finals
Lyles, Joesephus Williams, T. C. VA
Rose, Richard Boys & Girls NY
Benjamin, Rai Mt. Vernon NY
Lewis, John Cheltenham PA
Mighty, Kemarni Clara Barton NY
Germanakos, Luke Lynbrook NY
Blades, Christan Samuel J. Tilden NY
McNeil, Darryl Christ the King NY
Snorweah, Charles Pennsbury PA
Gall, Kiambu Paul Robeson NY
Poleon, Mergaran Paul Robeson NY
Fitzgerald, Kory Half Hollow Hills West NY
   
Mile

State of the Action:  Much like the 400m, there are questions to be answered on the track.  Mikey Brannigan (Northport) had an on-again, off-again relationship with super fast times in XC that was reminiscent of the Ross-Rachel dilemma of the 90's.  The Hispanic Games will see if Brannigan makes a return to consistency Indoors, in one of his signature events.  With Mikey ready to go, he will be hard to catch by the competition.  His 4:07.84 personal best is the class of the field, and his kick is unrivaled.  He already holds the states top time in the 1000m, so we now he is capable.  The next top competitor also had some issues with consistency.  Edwin Rutto (St. Benedict's) was top on the track in 2014, but his XC season did not see the same success.  He has a personal best of 4:13.29 on the track for the full mile, and will be equally as dangerous if he is back to firing on all cylinders. 

NXN Finalist Jeremy Spiezio (Greenwich) has shown the consistency, clocking a 4:21 mile two weekends prior in Rhode Island.  His 4:10 PR is nothing to be scoffed at, and will be making the trip from Section 2 with his eyes on that Millrose Slot.  Another measure of consistency is PA's Sam Ritz (Germantown Academy).  He holds US #1 in the 1000m and 800m heading into the race, and has proven he is race ready for both a kickers, and a steady strong race.  Austin Gilbert (Ridgfield, CT) won the NXN-Northeast regional race in XC, and could come away strong.  John Rice (Xavier) has proven he is in race shape with his former US #1 4x800m squad, and Fordham Prep's Conor Lundy and Joe Prunty are looking to be strong DMR legs down the road.  Rounding out the field is Anteneh Girma (TC Williams, VA), who was a Foot Locker Finalist this fall.

All in all, this looks to be the deepest field of the meet.

Tracking Shot
Top Athletes - Overall
Finals
Brannigan, Mike Northport NY
Rutto, Edwin St. Benedicts NJ
Spiezio, Jeremy Greenwich NY
Ritz, Sam Germantown Academy PA
Lundy, Conor Fordham Prep NY
Gilbert, Austin Ridgefield CT
Rice, John Xavier NY
Prunty, Joseph Fordham Prep NY
McCoy, Eamon Brandywine DE
Rafferty, Ryan Jackson NJ
Girma, Anteneh Williams, T. C. VA
Hazelwood, Kevin Brewster NY
Dragon, Joe High Point NJ

   
2-Mile
State of the Action:   The distance runners seeking the longer distance won't make out any easier.  Two NXN Finalists will face off at the top of the heat, as Craig Corti (Walkill, NJ) will make the trip to the Armory.  His 9:08.54 personal best looks to headline a strong field.  Fellow NXN qualifier Marco Pompilj (Collegiate) dropped a sub-4:20 DMR anchor the weekend prior, and looks to be in race shape to match his 9:12.45 personal best.  Dark horse Tyler Italiano (Syosset) has a breakout XC season, and returns to the track with a personal best looking to be smashed.  In a bold move, Anteneh Girma (TC Williams, VA) is entered in the double distance as well, and could transfer those XC skills to the track quite well.  James Burke (Port Jefferson), better known for the mile, is looking to expand his horizons to the longer distance, as well as dropping his personal best in the event under 9:25.0.  Look for the national leading mark of 9:12.11 to go down this weekend.
Tracking Shot
Top Athletes - Overall
Corti, Craig Wallkill Valley NJ
Pompilj, Marco Collegiate School NY
Italiano, Tyler Syosset NY
Girma, Anteneh Williams, T. C. VA
Burke, James Port Jefferson NY
Alberico, Christian Coginchaug Reg. CT
Onken, John Sachem North NY
Josephs, Tim Garden City NY
O'Connell, Martin Eastchester NY
Lauer, Jonathan Sachem North NY
McNamara, Tyler Sachem North NY
Seth, Slavin Pleasant Valley NJ
Garguilo, Jagger West Orange NJ
Gordon, Michael Valley Stream South NY
Rosicky, Bryce Atholton MD